Temporary migrant shelter merits San Diego County's support

(John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

A father and daughter from Guatemala walk through a temporary shelter in late November 2018. Organized by the San Diego Rapid Response Network, the shelter opened in October to offer food, water, shelter, medical care and other services to migrants being processed for asylum.

A father and daughter from Guatemala walk through a temporary shelter in late November 2018. Organized by the San Diego Rapid Response Network, the shelter opened in October to offer food, water, shelter, medical care and other services to migrants being processed for asylum. ((John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS))

It’s unclear how effective, long-lasting or even legal the Trump administration’s new border policy — to return some asylum seekers to Mexico while their cases are pending in U.S. immigration courts — will be. What’s clear is that an influx of asylum seekers lawfully in America awaiting court dates have left city and county politicians scrambling for months to find a place for them while also dealing with rising domestic homelessness and local budget priorities. Finally, there’s a no-cost solution.

The San Diego Rapid Response Network has offered asylum seekers shelter, food, transportation and medical care at a facility it must vacate by Feb. 15. On Tuesday, for stability, the county Board of Supervisors should approve a bipartisan proposal by Greg Cox and Nathan Fletcher to lease the downtown former family courthouse for this through 2019.

Opening a temporary shelter for legal asylum seekers at a vacant, soon-to-be-demolished space at no cost to taxpayers — and with no delays for the developer who plans to build affordable housing on the site — is an easy call. Jewish Family Service of San Diego would cover upgrades, operations, maintenance and security costs. Supervisors could reject the idea in light of Trump’s plans to house asylum seekers in Mexico, but the need is now and the White House’s record in court is spotty, at best. So soon after the county’s unforgivable delays contributed to the region’s deadly hepatitis A outbreak, this would limit the chance of another health crisis. It would also address public safety concerns about migrants on the streets, and ensure the region’s homeless beds are being used by the region’s homeless population. The cost of inaction is too high.